NONAM

NOrdic Network on Adaptive Management in relation to climate change

About the project

The idea behind this network is that it aims at the strengthening of the Nordic research capacity and at orienting (also) at societal research needs, notably with respect to the preparation and implementation of adaptation policies in public and private organizations.

These aims are pursued by means of various sets of activities. The aim is to engage associate (research) partners and other stakeholders that fulfill at least one and preferably several of the criteria regarding Nordic relevance, such as proximity, common natural environment, institutionalised shared responsibilities, and similar values and ways of governance. Obviously a general prerequisite is excellence in the identified themes / dimensions.

The network proposed in this project intends to enhance by means of its networking facilities:

the methodological development regarding adaptation assessment with special reference to (common) needs in Nordic countries

the actual application and testing of these methods in co-operation with sector stakeholders in Nordic countries, while using regionalized climate change projections and natural impact assessments

the prime theme area is: risk management and decision support with respect to adaptation policy development and related investments, notably regarding infrastructures of various kinds (energy, transport, water & sanitation, communication) and the overarching planning and management systems that create the context in which these systems are designed and operated (urban and coastal zone management e.g. planning and disaster prevention & -relief and rescue)

comparability and useful standardization of methods with the aim to speed up uptake of these applications and learning from these applications across the Nordic countries and in order to develop a Nordic framework for adaptive management

the development of academic and professional education in Nordic countries needed to support the development and use of these methodologies

Eyjafjallajökull 30th March 2010, shortly before an eruption began. Climate change will not affect the geophysical processes of volcanic eruptions but in the long run it may affect the icecaps much more than an eruption would. Photo: Baldur Sveinsson.